


Different

by magic_robot



Series: Tales from Aquabania [1]
Category: The Aquabats! Super Show!
Genre: Hurt/Comfort, M/M, mcrobot - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-01-24
Updated: 2014-01-24
Packaged: 2018-01-09 20:54:35
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,067
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1150694
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/magic_robot/pseuds/magic_robot
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The Commander copes with Jaime's new powers.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Different

**Author's Note:**

> In the Commander's origin story Jimmy was originally a human and got turned into a robot (more like a cyborg, I guess) when they washed up on the Professor's island. Here's a very melodramatic reenactment of what could've gone down if he and the Commander were together beforehand (all my Aquabanian stuff assumes this, it wouldn't be fun otherwise!). 
> 
> So. On the names thing. Basically I have this headcanon that they had different names on Aquabania and that they names they use in the Super Show are ‘superhero names’. So Jimmy is Jaime here.

When the Commander regained consciousness face down on the shore of the island the first thing he had noticed was Jaime, half of his skull cracked open and blood wisping away into the surf. A man was standing over him, injecting him with something before hoisting his body over his shoulder and he’d cried out, horrified. Later, he awoke, aching and delirious and that same man was there, calmly doing something to a wound on his arm. The Commander squinted at him - he didn’t look like any man he’d seen before, much paler and more delicately featured than Aquabanians. 

“Don’t move. You and your friends are fine. I’m fixing you.”

His mouth was numb and he slurred as he tried to speak. “Jaime? Jaime’s okay?”

“He’ll be okay.” The Commander grinned and closed his eyes.

Days passed and the Commander and the others recovered and were given powers. Despite the rigours of the Professor’s lessons and superhero training his thoughts were occupied by Jaime’s absence. The others didn’t really know how close they were, they couldn’t, but they noticed his distress and tried to reassure him. Why was it taking so long? The Professor never even mentioned Jaime. There was a door, way down the other end of the lab and the Professor would go in for a few hours and then come out, coat spattered with blood. The Commander had a horrible suspicion that Jaime was in there and something awful was happening to him. Finally, he approached him as he was leaving the room.

“Professor, where’s Jaime? I thought you said he’d be okay. If he’s not, you gotta tell me, I just need-” There was an edge of desperation in his voice before the Professor turned to face him.

“He is okay. I didn’t just fix him, I’m making him better than before.” He frowned, taking off his glasses and rubbing them against his coat. “It’s just taking a bit longer.”

“What does that mean? What are you doing to him?” The first part of the sentence came out as a whine, the second part with an aggressive growl, hands balling into fists. The Professor sighed, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly. He looked like he was about to cry. “Just tell me.” 

“It’s complicated. You wouldn’t understand. There’s still a bit of work that needs doing but you can see him if you want.” The Commander nodded eagerly. “I should tell you, he’s a bit different now.”

“I’m so glad you’re alive.” As soon as he closed the door the words spilt from his lips, shamefully sappy but he didn’t care. The room was tiny and dingy, a stark metal frame bed pressed to one of the walls. Jaime was sitting up in bed, face smattered with bruises and head bandaged but otherwise looking normal. There were no machines attached to him and the Commander took this as a good sign.

“Me too.” Jaime took in a sharp breath as the Commander hugged him tight. “Don’t worry, I haven’t just had surgery or anything.” He murmured an apology and kissed him tenderly, pressing his palm soft against his cheek. Eventually he pulled back, flushed and squished Jaime’s legs aside slightly to perch on the edge of the bed.

“I missed you. What did he do to you, anyway? I thought something bad happened. Oh man! Crash got this power, it’s awesome, he like gro-” He gasped when he saw Jaime’s hand peek out from under the covers. It was made out of metal. 

“He didn’t tell you, did he?” Jaime asked quietly.

“He said you were different.” He breathed, staring for a second and then looked back up at Jaime, forcing a smile. “It’s okay! It’s okay. Everyone’s a bit different now. I can deal with you having a weird hand. What’s it made of?” He moved to touch it but Jaime pulled away.

“Metal. It’s not just my hand though.” His voice was distant, numb and he grimaced as he yanked down the covers and pulled off his rashguard. Metal panels dominated his torso, leaving a few small reserves of skin, his arms completely sheeted in cool steel. “He’s turning me into a machine.”

His heart stilled for a moment, skin crawling as he stared at one of the screws that connected the metal to his body. There was a fresh dot of blood at the head of the screw. His chest ached desperately as he swallowed back a sob. “Oh, Jaime.” He didn’t realise how long he was staring until Jaime shifted, reaching forward to hold his hand.

“C’mon dude. It’s horrible but you’re making me feel weird.” He muttered. The Commander shivered at how cold his grip was but squeezed back hard until his fingers hurt.

“Yeah. Sorry.” He sniffed and rubbed at his eyes. “Move over.” He tried to sidle next to him in the single bed.

“Geez, alright. Be careful, there’s a…fuck!” He winced as the Commander rubbed against a fresh wound, tender where metal and flesh intersected.

“Oh, sorry.” He wiggled back a little, touching him softly along his side, trying to find a spot to rest his hand that didn’t make him recoil.

“That’s where he took my kidney out.” His voice was high and tight. The Commander shifted, wanting so badly to hold him, settling on pressing a kiss to a lone patch of skin on his shoulder. Jaime finally grabbed his arm and pulled it over him, grasping it close to his chest, hissing a little at the pain. “How’s everyone else?”

“They’re fine.” He mumbled into his neck. “You’re fine. Everyone is fine.”

“He’s operating on me again tomorrow.”

“It doesn’t matter. You’re alive. You’ll get better and then we’ll go back home. I don’t care about what he did to you. We’ll just…we’ll make it work.” The Commander could feel his heartbeat under his fingertips. “This doesn’t change anything.”

Jaime sighed and pressed his hand closer, gripping it tight beneath cool fingers. “I might hold you to that.”

The Commander awoke later with Jaime sitting up hunched next to him, a strange blue glow playing on the bedcovers. For a minute he thought he was dreaming and he rubbed his eyes sleepily, trying to discern what the source of the light was. He muttered a curse when he realised the glow was coming from Jaime’s eyes.

"I can’t sleep."

**Author's Note:**

> There's art to go with this by the lovely Jexis! http://jexislexington.tumblr.com/post/53501354652/i-dont-ever-do-shippy-stuff-this-art-isnt
> 
> I'm going to do a very melodramatic follow up to this one day.


End file.
